


All's Well that (Finally) Ends Well

by miraimisu



Category: Bravely Default (Video Game) & Related Fandoms
Genre: Bravely Second Spoilers, Canon Compliant (for the most part), F/M, Formal Introduction of the 'Ringabelesque Shakesperian One Liners', Loneliness, Pining, Tent Event, pinch of angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 02:09:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29801358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miraimisu/pseuds/miraimisu
Summary: Five times Edea met Ringabel and the one time he finally came back home.
Relationships: Edea Lee/Ringabel
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. The day we meet again

"That Alternis fellow was quite interesting, wasn't he?"

Edea looks up from her bowl of rice and glances at Magnolia, who is drumming her chopsticks on her bowl. Tiz seems pensive – has been all night, in fact, staring at the ground in silence.

Yew speaks up with his giddy scholar smile. "That sure was a show of power, pushing Yoko away! I had heard a share of rumors about that man… the mysterious dark knight of Eternia, but I never thought them true."

She's not sure if she wants to know about the rumors. Alternis is known for being equal parts kind and impulsive. She shoves it all down with a mouthful of rice.

Tiz seems to want otherwise. "What rumors?"

"Well, first of all, he's the right hand of the Grand Marshal of Eternia – one of his most trusted succors, in fact! He's fended off armies on his own, defeated demons, warded off spirits in Central Command... Heck, he was a major member of the Council of Six, even!"

Edea herself was the one who was scared of a spirit haunting her room and he had been the one to fake-purge the fiend off her bedroom. It turned out that the spirit was just a very tricky curtain.

But she won't tell anyone that – Alternis deserves all the credit he can get, even if it's for silly reasons.

"Alternis is difficult to battle, I'll give you that," Tiz confesses, leaving his bowl by his feet. He folds his arms. "He was always tricky, no matter what world we went to. We fought him too many times, to my taste."

"You're just jealous because he was better with the sword than you are," Edea snickers, and the boy clicks his tongue. "Can't say that's uncommon, though. He was always more skilled than me, even."

Yew and Magnolia gasp, as though she's the paragon of sword mastery. That's a little flattering, and she smirks at the awe on Yew's face. "And you had to battle him?"

"We had no other option, he was always on our way. First with the Eschalot, our first vessel, and then…" Tiz looks at Edea, and she looks away, biting her lip. "He's a force to be reckoned with, that's to be sure. The more pain he feels, the more powerful he seems to become. He could never get himself to hurt Edea, though."

Edea grits her teeth as the others turn to her, like flies watching a firelight. Magnolia, ever so smart, winks at her. "How fortunate of you, to have such a fierce warrior smitten with you."

"He's _not_ smitten with me," she grumbles through another mouthful of rice.

Tiz chuckles. "Considering he proposed to you in the middle of battle… I would _very_ much say he's head over heels for you."

Yew and Magnolia break into gasps and squeals. Edea slams her bowl of rice on the floor and grabs a handful of Tiz's hair, blushing. He yelps and pleads for her to let go, which she does – but not without one last smack on his head.

"Mrgrgr! You had to go and say _that_!"

"He _proposed_ to you!" Yew squeals, shaking his head in disbelief. "During a _battle_ , no less! When feelings are running high and energy is running low… he's smart, that man!"

"He has no sense of timing!" Edea says, letting Tiz go and returning to her seat. "I didn't need to hear any of that rubbish then, let alone when we were discussing the fate of the world… _mrgrgr_."

"Timing rarely matters for issues like these. To think a man so protective and strong would propose to you…"

Magnolia hums, deep in thought. Edea clenches her fists. "What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"I suppose you said no, then?" Yew asks, sounding genuinely curious. "I don't see a ring on your hand, though you don't look like the type to wear rings to a battlefield anyway… or get married."

Edea grimaces. It's not something she likes to think about. It's not like she _doesn't_ want to get married someday. She's seen the type of love Commander Goodman and his wife share, the wildfire that is Barras and Holly Whyte… she's not blind. She'd be stupid not to notice it, let alone _want_ it.

But things are never that easy. Explaining her situation is just as complicated.

So she goes for the easiest route: indignation. "Of course we aren't married, you dimwit – he's like a brother to me!"

Yew gapes at her, and Magnolia covers her mouth. "A… brother?" she asks. "I thought you were a single child."

"And I am, but – Alternis and I were raised together, like brother and sister. Father brought him in after one mission in Florem when I was what, 5? I don't remember the day I met him, but I remember the many times we trained and adventured together. He was the only person in Eternia willing to play with me."

"Well… your definition of 'playing' was more violent than most kids your age would like, to be fair," Tiz muses.

Edea will be surprised if someone doesn't leave this tent ready to be hospitalized.

Yew coughs, probably catching the look in her eyes. "So… you were like siblings, correct? Did you know he had those feelings for you?"

"Uh…"

"I still don't understand," Magnolia cuts in, frow burrowed. "A brother asking for his sister's hand in marriage? Luxendarc's traditions can be so confusing…"

"We were raised together, but we're not biologically related, obviously," Edea explains, glad for the change of topic. "He was like a big brother to me, you know. A little overbearing, a little bossy… he kept me company when Father was out and Mother was in the hospital. He's been out a lot more often now, though." Edea purses her lips. "Last I knew, he was deployed to Ancheim. Weird to find him here…"

Tiz hums. Edea can see the cogs turning on his head. Yew scoots closer to the middle of the tent, closer to Edea. "You still haven't answered my question."

"Hm?"

"I suppose you had no feelings for him, then?"

Edea is caught at a bit of an impasse. _Obviously,_ she has no romantic feelings for Alternis, the moody, broody bodyguard figure she's grown up with. His suave, flirty, stupid, and idiotic version from another world, however…

They're not the same person, though, Edea knows that. She's had to remind herself of that plenty of times when Alternis was close to her, the many times she's looked at him and wondered if Ringabel could be somewhere in there, be it in spirit or intention.

She's always sought some Ringabel in Alternis when the former left, and she knows – she _knows_ that's not healthy.

After a long silence, she offers him a smile. "Nope. No romantic feelings, that's for sure. I love him, just – just not in _that_ way."

"Proposals or not, his timing today was great. Had he not been there, who knows what would have happened to us," Tiz says, to nobody in particular. Then, he sets his eyes on Edea, who is drowning her frustrations with a dumpling. "Alternis sure has changed, huh?"

"Changed?" Edea asks through a harsh swallow. "What do you mean?"

He tilts his head. "Maybe it's because I was sleeping for most of the past three years and I missed many things, but he acted differently. At least different from what I remember."

"What, wasn't he this protective of Edea before?" Yew asks.

Edea can feel her cheeks grow rosy. She _hates_ having these things aired like this.

Tiz shakes his head, chuckling as he spares a look at Edea. "I would say that hasn't changed, but… it had more to do with his demeanor, if that makes sense. Maybe I'm imagining things, but I remember Alternis being more faithful to his duties than to Edea. No offense, Edea."

"None taken. You're right," she sighs. "We might be like siblings, but there are few things he likes more than righteousness and his armor. It's weird for him to go off on his own when he's got things to do elsewhere."

"Right. Then I wonder, what was he after this time?"

"Maybe he caught wind of Yoko, just like we did?" Magnolia says. "Though that would be surprising, oui? She acted so innocent, and yet…"

Tiz taps his fingers on his forearm, shaking his head. "It looked as though this was the first time he saw Yoko, as though he wasn't here for _her_ , exactly. And some of the things he said…"

To her annoyance, Tiz stares at Edea with an intensity more expected from an interrogation – like she knows anything! Alternis is and will always be a locked shut case. Not even she can get him to open a crack. How can Tiz expect her to know everything about him?

Maybe she's growing frustrated at the thought that she doesn't really _know_ Alternis, and maybe she grows angry. A _lot_.

So much so she no longer feels hungry. She gets up with a huff. "I'm done with dinner. I'm gonna get some fresh air. Don't wait up for me."

Magnolia calls Edea's name, but she's long slipped out of the tent and walked away. Tiz seems unaffected by this, somehow, looking at the spot Edea left empty with a vacant, intrigued look in his eyes.

Yew sighs. "Never expected Edea to be upset because of _men_ , of all things…" He looks up, catching the expression in Tiz's face. "What's wrong, sir? You look a little pallid."

"Ah, it's nothing." His voice is still a smidge wondrous, distracted. "I was just... thinking of someone, that's all."

* * *

The nerve of those people – of _Tiz_ –, asking so much out of her after such a tiring day! Edea kicks a pebble and watches it roll to the steamy waters. The nerve of that man, Alternis, being so frustratingly hard to read, and running away so suddenly, too!

She hates that she has reasons to be angry at the people she loves. If only things were easier…

To cool off, she tries to focus on what will come tomorrow: Yoko said there was a passage somewhere beyond these caves, a passage to the Temple of Fire. What monster did they fight in the Temple of Fire, all those years ago? Was it that chimera? No, that can't be… was it that floating beast with the force field?

She remembers that time she was up with Ringabel on deck as he sketched those monsters with all too much ease. She remembers his voice, assuring her nothing would happen to her, she remembers believing him, that they–

A scream rings through the caves.

Edea takes out her sword swiftly. She reaches into her bag, curling her fingers around the swordmaster asterisk as she looks around. She knows better than to ask who goes or all that garbage. Better surprise the enemy and attack their weak spots!

She walks to the area far behind their tent. The stench of monsters roaming Geyser Grotto slaps any exhaustion off her system. They're excited, overcharged with brave points, twitching for a battle behind some corner.

They've beaten the Crystals out of them, so it'd be weird for any of them to still be alive, unless…

Edea hears another thud only a few feet behind. Did the Imperial guards catch up?

It only takes her a minute to find her enemy: a figure clad in black, kneeling on the ground–

"Gotcha!"

Her sword meets a red blade with a grunt. Edea's breath catches as his blade pushes her behind him, throwing her to her knees. A few feet away, a monster surges from fallen debris, shrieking.

The clicks of his armor are unmistakable.

"Minus Strike!"

The monster bends over in pain, and so does Alternis, coughing. Edea hurries to her feet, instinct kicking in. He was already weak from Yoko's attack, so he must be on the verge of fainting. The nerve of that man, to go around beating monsters without asking for help!

 _Mrgrgr_!

The monster sees Edea running towards it and reaches for her with one of its claws, which she gracefully dodges with a jump. Alternis shouts her name, voice full of alarm.

"Transience!"

And the monster is gone, vanishing with a puff of smoke. She sheathes her sword with a flick and turns around to find Alternis kneeling on the ground, clutching his middle.

She hurries to his side much like he would when she'd lose at wooden sword battling.

"Alternis, are you okay?" she asks, kneeling beside him. She twists to reach her little emergency pouch, tied to her hip. "Hold on, let me grab you a potion– you're so reckless, you know!"

"Being reckless is the nature of my job," he says through audibly gritted teeth. "I see you retain your knowledge of the ninja asterisk. Your grace is second to none, as always."

Edea punches his shoulder half-heartedly. "Now's not the time for that. Drink this and shut up."

Fortunately, he obeys, dislodging one part of the helmet to drink the potion. Alternis grimaces at the taste, but he probably knows better than to complain. He's just as picky as Ringabel when it comes to medicine – what a nuisance.

When he's done, she stands up, digging her boot on the gravel. "Now, spill. What are you doing here? Weren't you going after Yoko?"

"I… I was, indeed." He slowly gets back on his feet, grunting. "I, um, I thought that she might have come back here, so I, er, also came back here. But clearly she isn't here, so I suppose it was a daft assumption on my part."

Part of her thinks something's odd about his words, but then, Alternis rubs the fabric of her bow. Edea pretends the big stain of blood doesn't bother her. Only he'd jump into a battle with half-healed injuries.

She sighs. "Couldn't you have at least waited for your wounds to close before chasing after her? Get checked by a medic, a white mage, maybe?"

"The security of Luxendarc is worth skipping a visit to the medic–" Edea glowers, "–but I promise I will visit one as soon as I leave I was scouting the area in case any monsters were lurking."

"You're wounded!"

"Hardly a scratch."

"Definitely _not_ just a scratch, you reckless blockhead!" Crystals, she'd smack him left and right if it weren't for how wounded he is. Are all men this stupid? "Ugh, why would you want to watch this area anyway, if Yoko isn't here?"

Alternis hesitates.

"Because _you_ are here."

The firmness of his words catches her off guard. Her lips part in surprise. He's kidding, right? "We can handle things just fine. _I_ can handle things just fine."

Edea doesn't want to be harsh with him, because he doesn't deserve that, but he also does for being such an idiot. He's kind, brave, but also an idiot, the biggest one of them all!

Alternis shifts, standing more upright than before, and approaches her. The difference in height puts a pause to her irritation, replaced by curiosity.

"Protecting you is a duty I will never shirk, Edea. It comes as easy as breathing. If you merely whispered my name in the middle of the night, I would run to your side, even if bent and beaten."

Her eyes widen. A foreign feeling – something pleasant, but also devastatingly puzzled – coils in her stomach, sparks something odd and warm in her heart. Is this what Tiz was talking about earlier?

She holds a hand out, reaches out to him – to his forehead.

"You… don't seem to have a fever," she mutters, as if she could discern such a thing through his obnoxious helmet. "When did you become so poetic? Did you hit your head? No… did Father let you read Lord DeRosso's poetry?"

"I'm completely fine. Or, at least, fine enough to know where my duty lies." He grips her hand in his, caressing the callouses on her palm with his thumb. "Protecting Luxendarc might come first, but never forget that I will always be there to protect you, Edea."

The way he says it makes it sound like it's more important than it should be. When has she ever really needed Alternis this badly? Did people in Eternia start rumors about her while she was gone? Do they think she has a crush on Alternis? Only that would explain how romantic and poetic he's being.

This is weird, and Edea doesn't like weird.

But this kind of weird… it's familiar. It soothes a pain she can't quite place, because, for a second, she doesn't know who she's talking to.

Edea searches his eyes in his helmet. It's unfair that he can see her, but she… she…

She wrangles her hand out of his grasp with a huff, turning her head in hopes he won't see the redness on her cheeks. "You're saying some silly things, you know. Who said I need your protection?"

Alternis chuckles. "Aren't you going to thank your knight in shining armor for pushing Yoko away from you?"

"That– Don't let it get to your head! It was just– just a bad moment." Edea comments, tensing up. "That demon… she's bad news, isn't she? She was reading everyone's heads. She also said she could read me, too, as if…"

She clutches the front of her uniform. She's unsure why the thought of it is so nerve-wracking. Maybe she doesn't like that she's not the only one who knows about her inner struggles anymore, and that's something she wasn't prepared for – maybe never will, seeing how things are going.

How much does she know? How far can she dig? Does she know about–

A comforting yet cold hand on her shoulder halts that line of thought. "Edea, I promise that creature won't lie a single finger on you. I swear it on my life."

Edea shakes her head. "You don't need to worry about me, Alternis. I will manage fine on my own."

But then, she thinks about Yoko. About the feelings she threatened to uncover, feelings that Edea was sure didn't exist anymore because she buried those feelings a hundred feet under the ground and refused to look at their gravestones anymore.

How fine will she be without the things she's missing, the things she needs?

Alternis is quiet. Maybe he has much to think about, too.

He withdraws his hand and turns around. "I must leave. That creature won't roam free for much longer, so worry not about her."

Edea takes a deep breath, straightening her posture. "Right. Please, have someone look at your injuries. Don't make me drag you to a hospital like when we were kids. You're too heavy for my poor arms."

"I suppose you're well over your habit of punching through doors instead of knocking, then?"

Edea squares his jaw. The nerve, the _gall_!

Before she can respond he chuckles. "Focus on the kaiser and finding Agnès. The path will be treacherous and long– but know this, Edea." He turns his head over his shoulder. His gaze, albeit hidden, feels intense. She feels a little smaller, suddenly, but also much cared for. "Don't feel alone or defeated. I will always be there to fight for you. Always."

Has she heard these words before? This warmth, this uncalled for sense of safety…

She hates it. She hates how much she missed this feeling. She hates how it shouldn't be Alternis telling her this. It should be someone else, a man with a stupid hairdo and a stupid diary and stupid eyes and stupid cheesy pickup lines.

How is she supposed to answer to the barrage of feelings that are resurfacing within her? With a smile? She should thank him, but she should also tell him to screw off and mind his own business, but she should also hug his worries away, but she also feels congested, like she's full of something heavy she's been carrying for so long– so long that she's forgotten what it feels like to have someone promise to carry the burden for you.

It's been so long since someone has cared this deeply for her. Has Alternis always felt this way? How has she been missing this all along?

Edea stares at Alternis, over and over, like simply staring will fill the void she's been avoiding for so long. She gulps, slightly breathless.

"Take care of yourself," Edea says, unsure how she's managing to sound so confident. She adds a nod, an authoritarian frown. "Do what you must. And– please, take care of yourself."

"I will come back to you," he says with a nod. "I promise, Edea."

She replies with another nod of her own and watches him go, staring at his shadow, wondering when it grew so long, wondering how she got so used to being left behind that the chill her friends leave at their wake doesn't bother her anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this chapter last, against the very laws of nature, and it shows
> 
> anyway, this fic is 2 chapters of actual canon-compliant fics focused on those VERY OBNOXIOUS times Ringabel just swung by to save the day as Alternis. The other 3 are made up bs that I enjoyed writing A LOT lmao. I haven't written Bravely before so this was quite new but also lots of fun, writing a tent-event styled scene was awesome, unsure how it turned out but I love it >:)
> 
> I also loved making Edea suffer >:) did I regret those sad epithets of suffering and longing when HER MAN IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER? no :) suffer with me
> 
> Updates will come every Tuesday until the end! Chapter length will also vary. Sometimes I'm more of a 8k fiend, sometimes I'm a 3k baby
> 
> Toodles for now!! <3


	2. let me be your strength

Florem is bustling with energy when they crawl past the gates, knees bent and energies depleted. The locals greet them happily, but Edea can't offer that level of courtesy today.

Magnolia carries her forward. She's wobbling on her heels. "We're finally here. Yew must have already booked our room, oui? What building did he say the inn was?"

Edea weakly points to her left. From the corner of her eye, she sees people casting her worried looks, and she wishes she had enough stamina to strut around with her usual pride. She guesses it's weird to see the Flower Maiden cross the gates into town full of bruises, limping from one leg and sporting a clumsily wrapped, bloodstained bandage on her arm.

She hates feeling so weak, damn it. Only her friends have had the luxury of seeing her unconscious, and this isn't an image she wants people to grow accustomed to.

In an attempt to salvage her reputation, she tries to stand upright and walk on her own, but her ankle screams in protest. Magnolia frowns. "Non, Edea, allow me to help. You carried me last time, now it's my turn."

"I can walk on my own," she winces. Her ego is more bruised than her body right now. "I'm a big girl, just let me–"

She stops walking when she spots a familiar figure to her right. Close to where DeRosa's hideout once was, Alternis is chatting with a girl, who giggles and fans herself.

Edea can only guess that rascal's been taking his time when it comes to protecting Florem, but that's not something she can afford to worry about when she's bleeding from more places than she can number.

At least he won't see her while he's distracted. That's good.

Magnolia pushes Edea's arm further around her shoulders, following her eyes. "That's your friend, non? The man that saved us in Geyser Grotto and… he's also the Bloom Groom, yes?"

"Alternis," Edea mutters with a little smile. "I've never seen him socializing this much… good for him."

Magnolia's smile turns wicked. "I would have expected you to be more upset about seeing him, um, _socialize_ with other women that aren't you. Many people have warned you that you'll never get married, he might be your last chance!"

She feels this inhumane desire to kick her on the ribs. "He's– We're not– _ugh_! We're not gonna have this talk again." She pushes Magnolia forward. "Let's get going before he sees us and throws a tantrum."

Loathe as she is to admit it, though, the sight leaves a sour taste on her mouth for a different reason. The dark asterisk fits him the same, and they almost stand equally upright; it's ridiculous how she didn't realize they were the same person, back in the day.

In her defense, though, Alternis has always been silent, taciturn, a little impatient, rough. To see him schmoozing around Florem… Ringabel would probably be proud.

As Magnolia turns to the inn, someone shouts her name with a curse, a metallic voice she was hoping wouldn't notice her.

"Edea, wait!" She grimaces, nudging Magnolia to walk faster, but she stops walking and turns to Alternis. He looks at them from head to toe in clear alarm. "What on earth happened to you!?"

"Ambush," Edea says plainly.

Magnolia, far too energetic for Edea's liking, shakes her head. "She insisted on getting some training in the wrong area to try out her fencer asterisk, and this happened. We got ambushed by a group of Rafflesias, and we had no potions on us."

Edea nudges Magnolia's side. "You're making it look like I did this on purpose!"

"That hardly matters! Let me help." Alternis winds an arm around Edea's middle, pressing her to his side. He's far less comfortable than Magnolia, but she's too tired to care. "Allow me to fix her bandages. I will take her to the inn as soon as I'm finished."

Magnolia nods and rushes to the inn, probably to inform Yew and Tiz of the situation. Those two screaming at Edea for being reckless is a problem she really doesn't want to worry about, but it worsens her headache anyway.

At least Alternis isn't scolding her as they walk away, though he looks like he _really_ wants to.

He sits her on a secluded bench on a slope leading out of the plaza and sits right beside her. He takes an Elixir out of his backpack. "Drink this. _Please_. How did you manage to get _this_ hurt? And _why_ did you go out without any supplies?"

She frowns as she uncorks the vial. This is one side she's never liked of Alternis: the chiding. "Again, it's not like I did it on purpose. I wanted to get some training in before leaving, and it wasn't as bad as it looks."

Alternis shakes his head. "You have wounds as far as the eye can see."

"I got a lot of them during a fight earlier in the Twilight Ruins. I– I just thought I could handle some more training before hitting the hay for today." And she knows that was a little reckless, but she chuckles. "And I promise I didn't bandage this myself. Magnolia insisted on helping me out."

Alternis gently removes the bandages holding her arm. They have some spots with fresh blood on them, but he thankfully doesn't comment on that and simply watches her drink. "She wasn't as hurt as you are. By a _landslide_. Did she use you as a human shield, then?"

Edea gulps down the Elixir. _Ah_... That feels good. "You're really talkative today."

"Perhaps it's because I have a reason to be."

It's as though he's talking through gritted teeth. There's something else to his anger; he sounds worried, and Edea feels sick just for making him fret about her like this.

Alternis continues. "I heard about that fight from Einheria. She was quite injured herself. Why did you think training after _that_ was a good idea? Were you trying to get yourself killed?"

A beat of silence passes. His wrapping continues with a much gentler touch. Edea knows he has the right to be upset. He's just never been _this_ worried over a few scratches.

"I needed a distraction."

"A… distraction?"

Edea nods, drumming her fingers on her lap. "So many things have happened lately. At least last time we traveled this much we could stop for a day or two, and… you-know-who made things fun. Not like I'm not having fun now, mind you, it's just… I feel like I can't have fun. Not when Agnès is who knows where and some madman wants to destroy Luxendarc. Again."

To her surprise, Alternis has stopped bandaging her half-way, staring at her wounds without saying a thing. She can't exactly read his expression with that helmet on, but she takes his silence as a cue to keep talking.

"And then there's how _nobody_ in the Eternian forces can do a darn thing without me lately." Edea takes a deep breath, clutching the fabric of her uniform. "And we also have to deal with the Ba'als, Agnès is in danger, and Father… he's still recovering, isn't he?"

"He will be fine," Alternis comments off-handedly, resuming his bandaging. He clears his throat. "I… was never aware that you were this stressed."

"It's not only that," she continues, because she never leaves the yarn half-unraveled. "But I'm so tired. Mentally, I mean. I'm so worried about Agnès, and Tiz– I can tell he's not exactly okay, even if he's not telling me. He must feel lonely without her."

"At least he has you."

"I don't think I'm quite at her level. The guy's been in love with her for years now."

And sometimes, Edea catches herself thinking about that over and over before bed. She thinks about how Tiz worries and loses sleep for Agnès, but at least he can talk to her through Yew's pendant. Yew worries about his friends and Magnolia consoles him, and when Magnolia is stressed about Fort-Lune, Yew is there to offer warm hugs and soft words.

Everyone has somebody's hand to hold. They have that luxury.

But Edea is alone– not exactly helped by how she's refused to tell everyone about her feelings. Even in front of Alternis she refuses to speak her mind; there's only so much she can say when everyone is going through so much – it won't help to break apart just because an imbecile left her behind.

The nerve of that guy. The _damn_ nerve of that _idiot_.

A _mrgrgr_ bubbles past her throat without her even wanting, and Alternis says nothing.

Usually he'd offer clumsy words of comfort. On weird days, he'd sneak a proposal somewhere, but he hasn't this time. His quietness is odd, but she welcomes it anyway.

He's probably worried if he's _this_ quiet when he was flirting with that girl earlier, she thinks with a little smile. She glances down and her smile widens.

"I see you still have the bow."

He jolts. "I… yes, I do. Do you need it back?"

Edea musters a grin, which vanishes when he shifts her shoulder. _Ow_. "Nah, not at all. I can make more. You can keep it and use it for rags when we get home, if you want."

"What sort of gentleman would use a gift as a... cleaning rag? Nonsense." Alternis shakes his head, rubbing the bow softly. "But… I would like to keep it, if you don't mind."

"Hasn't your wound closed yet?"

"Ah, er… no. Not quite." Was the wound that deep? Edea gulps– he had taken that hit for her. "It's only a matter of time, though, and it doesn't hurt that much anymore. I'm only glad the wound is on me and not on you."

" _That's_ a bunch of nonsense," she grumbles. "But I'm glad you're feeling better. Do take care of yourself, okay?"

"Of course. But if you are ever in danger, just call my name, Edea," Alternis says firmly, but softly, finishing his wrapping. "I will fly from the furthest corner of Luxendarc to you, no matter the distance."

He's been dropping those cheesy lines more often… and they're more effective than she'll ever let on. Her cheeks are a little hot, and the butterflies on her stomach make her want to giggle. It's been a while since anyone has been so _romantic_ to her. After all, most people see her as little more than a self-standing brute.

Part of her wants everyone to think exactly that, but another longs for quiet moments like these. It's almost like his touch has feelings behind them, like his words have genuine, true love in them, like he misses her even though she's right here.

It's almost like…

Edea looks up, staring at Alternis's helmet with a smile.

"You remind me of someone."

Alternis looks up with a start. "Really?"

"Mhm," her smile turns into a playful smirk. "Don't think I didn't see you chatting with that lady. Did you get yourself a girlfriend without telling me? I need all the details!"

He shakes his head vigorously. There goes her fun. "Absolutely not. But she was very interested in the Bloom Groom, and it's not like me to ignore a lady like that."

"You looked _really_ interested in her, too."

"No more than I'm interested in you, Edea."

Her heart squeezes at that – not necessarily his words, but his tone. For a moment, she wonders if she was meant to hear that, but if he regrets saying it, he doesn't say.

She looks away, watching people walk by as Alternis ties his bandaging. "You-know-who was just like you. Sometimes I forget you're technically the same person." Alternis grunts his disapproval, and Edea laughs. "He was the worst flirt in existence. It always got worse here, in Florem. It'd be weird for him not to have a different girl under his arm every time we visited."

Alternis groans. He's always like this whenever Edea comments on Ringabel's shenanigans. She sighs fondly. "That… sounds like a handful of a man."

"Yeah, he definitely was. It was hard to keep up with him," Edea says, distracted with her own memories. She can remember walking down these streets with him, shopping bags in hand, talking about the many places they could visit together when – and if – she went back to Eternia. "He was impossible, even when he got his memories back. I wonder if he's still just as annoying as he was with us, wherever he is now."

Alternis lets her arm go, slowly. The Elixir has done wonders to her pain, and most of the muscular soreness has vanished. The ache in her heart, though, now that she's thinking of him, is anything but gone.

Beside her, Alternis stares in silence. His gaze is intense, so much so Edea wonders what he could be thinking about to be so reflective.

"You miss him, don't you?"

Ah, there it is.

With a lopsided smile, she nods slowly. "It's a little too quiet at night when he's not around. I think about him all the time, about where he could be, if he's okay– all that stuff." Edea sighs. "I have no idea if he'll ever come home, but I hope he's happy, wherever he is."

Maybe, if she keeps telling herself that she's happy for him, she'll eventually _feel_ happy for him.

Edea knows she's strong, that she'll be fine without him, but the thought always leaves this bitter aftertaste on her mouth, much like a pill she's not willing to swallow yet. Somewhere within her, she still hopes he'll come back.

But she's sure he won't. And wherever Ringabel is, he'll be happy. That's what he deserves.

Maybe the Edea he managed to save will make him happier than she ever would.

That– _that_ was a little too much to think about, and she gulps, feeling her eyes sting. Edea takes a deep breath, feels Alternis scoot closer. The cold touch of his armor against the slivers of exposed skin makes her hiss.

Alternis reaches for her hand, taking it between the two of his. She watches him, curious. On a good day, she'd swat him off and tell him to stop getting touchy, but something tells her she really should _not_ move.

"I'm sorry."

Edea arches an eyebrow. "What are you apologizing for? You patched me up, silly."

"I wish I could have been with you when all of this happened to protect you," he laments. Ah, that's more Alternis. "There is no sight worse to me than that of you hurt and in pain, Edea."

She shakes her head. "I'm fine. A good night's sleep will make it all better– and you were busy! It was my fault for being irresponsible, I guess. I won't hear the end of this when I get back to Tiz and Yew…" she laughs, more nervous than she'd admit, and Alternis says nothing, again. "Alternis? Are you alright?"

"Ah, yes. Of course. I was just… distracted." His voice is slightly cracked. He clears his throat, takes a deep breath. He must be so tired, too, taking care of Florem in their stead. "I wish I could do more than this."

His frustration is strange, but Alternis has always been like that: worrying about things he really can't control. "Don't be silly, you've already helped me with the bruises. Thank you, Alternis. And…" She looks down at the blue bow, clean and spotless. "I'm happy you're keeping that. Thank you for that, too."

Alternis keeps looking at her. He stares on, and on, and on, in a way that starkly reminds her of how Ringabel observed her in their quiet moments where nobody was watching.

Sometimes, Edea liked to stare at him, too.

Suddenly, he stands up with a cough. He rubs the back of his helmet, looking at anything but her. It's the first time Edea has seen him this fidgety and nervous.

"Perhaps it's time for you to get some well-deserved rest. I will still be here tomorrow if you need me." Alternis turns to her, offering her his hand. "Do you need help standing?"

The gesture stuns her for a good couple of seconds. Her cheeks turn pink. She doesn't really need his help. She's sure her legs are fine now. She could maybe even go on a run.

And yet… she takes his hand. These kinds of things really take her back, and she really needs the reminder that, once upon a time, someone out there was always there for her, just like Alternis has sworn to.

He even offers her his arm, and she latches onto it as he walks them forward, patting her arm casually. A tad too casually, even.

"Also..." he begins hoarsely. "Please, no matter what happens, if you ever need me, simply call my name and I will be there in a flash. Not even the strongest and most fearsome fiend could keep me away from you, Edea."

He's doing it again, goddammit. Edea looks away, feeling her cheeks heat up. There's no way she'll let this proposal monster see her have such a reaction, that'll encourage him to propose again!

But her lips are trembling as she tries not to smile, not to giggle in glee. He's making it hard.

"Flirting with so many girls must be helping you come up with cheesy lines," she jokes, and enjoys the flustered noise he lets out. "How many girls have you told that to?"

"Nobody. Only you. It will always be only you, Edea."

"Oh? What about the girl from earlier?"

"That was one time only, and she asked _me_ first!"

Edea laughs as he walks her to the inn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not Ringabel being a soft sad man................................ def that ain't him.
> 
> DO YOU WANNA KNOW STH WEIRD THOUGH? in my last replay of Bravely Second I MISSED the scene of Alternis flirting with a girl in Florem. When I first played I SAW HIM TALKING TO ANOTHER GIRL but this time I missed it somehow, I was so angry about that
> 
> I remember that when I played through the Flower Maiden event I heard the battle theme play and I SQUEALED so loudly my roommate actually asked me if I was okay. I was THRASHING. Ringabel was a 10/10 in the Florem event and HE CAN'T ACT LIKE ALTERNIS TO SAVE HIS LIFE GJHBFRJKNDLK
> 
> At least there's less emotional dumping here and more soft interactions, I just was really vibing with the idea of this chapter and scene in particular. I would've liked writing more canon-compliant bits for this story and I MIGHT do so between this chapter and the next one but for now, the remaining chapters are all post-bravely second
> 
> next chapter is also angsty ok toodlesssss
> 
> /rolls away


End file.
